Aske Hall

Aske Hall is a country house developed from a 15th-century pele tower, located in North Yorkshire. The building evolved through successive periods of expansion and modification, reflecting the changing fortunes and tastes of its occupants over more than four centuries.

The earliest element is the 15th-century pele tower, built for the Aske family. This was extended in the 16th century with a hall range during the ownership of Robert Bowes. The 17th century saw the addition of wings, constructed for the Wharton family. In the early to mid-18th century, Sir Conyers D'Arcy undertook refenestration work. More significant alterations followed in the 1760s under Sir Lawrence Dundas, who employed architect John Carr. The 19th century brought further changes for the 1st Earl of Zetland, with work by Ignatius Bonomi, and again in the 20th century for the 3rd Marquis of Zetland, with designs by Claude Pillimore. A major refurbishment in 1963–64 involved the removal of most 19th-century service ranges, the shortening of the wings, and modification of the central hall.

The building is constructed of rubble sandstone with ashlar dressings, with roofs of Westmorland slate. Its irregular plan forms a U-shaped front created by wings flanking a central hall, with the pele tower positioned at the right corner and a late 18th-century Gothick tower at the left corner. Late 18th-century ranges extend to the rear.

The south-east elevation presents two storeys across an arrangement of 1:7:1 bays. The centre range features a 20th-century single-storey porch in banded rusticated ashlar, with a leaved 10-panel door set in a keyed architrave, cornice and blocking course above. Ground-floor windows are 15-pane sashes in ashlar architraves with tripartite keystones and a sill band. First-floor windows are sashes with glazing bars in ashlar surrounds with tripartite keystones, except for the centre window which is a tripartite sash in a matching surround. A parapet with moulded cornice crowns the elevation, with a coat of arms in strapwork at the centre.

The left wing displays a ground-floor Venetian window in a 20th-century ashlar surround with tripartite sash and sill band, and a first-floor tripartite sash window in ashlar with tripartite keystone. The wing has a modillion cornice and hipped roof. The right wing mirrors this arrangement but also includes a basement opening. The right return of the left wing is blind but carries an external stack with an inscription commemorating the 1963–64 alterations, and a modillion cornice. The left return of the right wing rises to three storeys over two bays. Ground-floor windows are 15-pane sashes in architraves with tripartite keystones; first-floor windows are sashes with glazing bars in ashlar surrounds with tripartite keystones; second-floor windows are 6-pane sashes in ashlar surrounds with tripartite keystones. A modillion cornice and central stack complete this elevation.

To the rear, the north-west range features a ground-floor central 6-panel door below a 3-pane overlight in an architrave with tripartite keystone, flanked on each side by a sash window with glazing bars in an ashlar surround with tripartite keystone. A single matching window appears on the first floor, with a 6-pane sash window in the same surround on the second floor. A modillion cornice surmounts the elevation. The south-west range terminates in a 20th-century rubble wall which is blind but displays a D'Arcy coat of arms in an open-pedimented surround on the first floor. Between these two ranges sits a 20th-century single-storey rear hall, above which three first-floor sash windows with glazing bars in ashlar surrounds with tripartite keystones light the rear wall of the main central front range.

The inner return of the south-west range, attributed to John Carr, is ashlar-faced and features a staircase projection with a round-arched landing window in a raised architrave with imposts and tripartite keystone. To its right are two bays of sash windows with glazing bars in surrounds with tripartite keystones.

The left (south-west) return is predominantly two storeys, arranged as 2:3:1:2 bays. The first two bays project slightly and are ashlar-faced, with ground-floor sash windows with glazing bars in raised architraves featuring sill bands, pulvinated friezes and pediments. First-floor windows are 9-pane unequally hung sashes in architraves on bracketed sills with cornices above. A modillion cornice runs along the top. The third to fifth bays are ashlar, with ground-floor sash windows with glazing bars in raised architraves featuring sill bands and cornices on scrolled consoles. First-floor windows are sashes with glazing bars in architraves with sill bands, topped by a modillion cornice. Bays seven to eight return to rubble construction, with ground-floor sash windows with glazing bars in ashlar architraves featuring sill bands, pulvinated friezes and pediments. First-floor windows are 9-pane unequally hung sashes in ashlar architraves on bracketed sills with cornices. A modillion cornice crowns this section.

The Gothick tower stands at the left corner, constructed of coursed dressed stone over three storeys. A single central bay is flanked by three-quarter-round turrets with blind chamfered vents on the ground and first floors and blind loopholes on the second floor. Sill bands from the central windows continue around the turrets, and the entire tower features crenellated parapets raised over the turrets. The ground-floor glazed door is set in an ashlar Tuscan surround with a modillion cornice and stepped blocking above. The first-floor features a round-arched casement window in an ashlar architrave with paterae in the spandrels and a cornice on consoles. The second-floor round-arched casement is in a Doric surround with the sill on consoles and an architrave to the arch with keystone.

Internally, the entrance hall was originally open and retains part of a 16th-century frieze (other portions are preserved in a first-floor bedroom). A floor was inserted in the early 18th century and lowered again in 1963–64. The hall houses a fireplace from Clumber Park. To its right is the dining room, which retains an 18th-century cornice. The left front wing contains a remodelled library, with the drawing room behind it featuring an 18th-century fireplace, doors and doorcases, moulded shutters, a cornice and a coved and richly decorated ceiling. The drawing room is attributed to Lancelot Brown, who landscaped the park in 1770. Behind this is the morning room with a fireplace and decorated coved ceiling designed by John Carr. On the first floor above is a bedroom by John Carr. Nearby stands a John Carr cantilevered stone staircase with fine wrought-iron balustrade by Tobin.